Johnston Press has decided to cancel four of its free newspapers in three places- Derbyshire, South Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire to concentrate better on paid-for titles in these areas.
It has published the last edition of Worksop Trader, Chesterfield Advertiser, the Mansfield and Ashfield Observer and Doncaster Advertiser last week. Latest ABC figures have shown that all the four free titles together made a distribution of more than 140,000. These four free titles were being given along with paid-for titles such as Worksop Guardian, Derbyshire Times, the Mansfield Chad and Doncaster Free Press. With the closure of these free papers, two sports editor roles will be lost in Derbyshire while editorial jobs will continue.
Publishing strategy of free papers in each place such as Mansfield, Doncaster Worksop and Chesterfield will be closed starting from October 1st, managing director of Johnston Press’s South Yorkshire and North Midlands publishing division said. He also added that all the four paid-for titles such as Worksop Guardian, the Mansfield and Ashfield Chad, the Derbyshire Times and Doncaster Free Press are successful newspapers in their respective places and hence publishing will be focussed on these papers. Customers who have been advertising on free papers are given alternative choices within their websites and titles.
Free titles initially had separate editors and news agendas. The restructure of the plan has led to the sacking of two sports editor roles on Johnston Press’s Derbyshire titles. Sports staff working for Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire titles will be divided with the work of the sacked editors.
